.
.
.
The Pakistan military are never going to launch a military campaign against the Haqqani network in North Waziristan, since Haqqani is a pawn of the ISI. Doesn't Admiral Mullen know this fact?
So why make such a public demand using the BBC?
Why not convey the silly meaningless demand privately, military to military, rather than use the media?
Is the USA's calculated intention that the Pakistanis are obviously yet again going to dither and obfuscate in dealing with one of their own long funded pawns,........... AND when they do, Mullen will intensify cross border Afghan security, TTP and ISAF forces attacks into Pakistani territory in North Waziristan? .......knowing the Pakistanis will complain, but not do much else, as they have done with drone attacks into sovereign Pakistani territory since 2006....killing 1500 innocent Pakistani women and children.
Where you have the USA attack sovereign Pakistani territory and kill innocent Pakistani civilians relentlessly, without any control and complaints is not good for Pakistan in the long run. It sets the ground work for future greater USA incursion into Pakistan...as this writer has been saying since 2008.
Further and related to this, if Pakistan loses total USA cooperation and aid (which might not be a bad thing considering) ........then Pakistan quickly now needs to enhance and upgrade its relations with China, AND India comprehensively as this writer has been arguing since 2008. Pakistan should have full FTA's with both India and China, and greater security cooperation.
Better relations with Iran is natural and good, BUT Iran is not a significant power that can meaningfully defend Pakistan should the USA become more aggressive in the future. There are limits to what Iran can do for Pakistan. However total sincere friendship with China and India in the place of the USA, which has thus far not been explored to due the the role of the USA......is what Pakistan must rely on.
_______________________________
Mullen Demands Pakistan Move Against North Waziristan
Warns Refusal Could 'Affect Relations'
Speaking today in an interview with the BBC, Admiral Michael Mullen today demanded that the Pakistani government launch a military offensive against the Haqqani Network in the North Waziristan Agency, the latest in years of demands from the US for such an offensive.
Mullen, who was in Kabul during the interview, warning that US-Pakistani relations could be seriously harmed if the Zardari government did not address the “safe havens” in North Waziristan.
The demands will likely not sit well with the Pakistani government, particularly at a time when US-Pakistani relations are already at a comparative low. The Zardari government has confirmed plans to eventually go into North Waziristan, but demands related to timing don’t appear to sit well with the military, which is already upset by US unilateralism.
To that end, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari says that they need to come up with some sort of clear “terms of engagement” for US and Pakistani operations along the border between Pakistan’s tribal areas and the US occupied Afghanistan. With another US strike killing four more today, it seems unlikely that the two sides will reach any sort of agreement.
